German tech firm opens production line in Taiwan

TAIPEI--Heraeus Holding, a German precious metal and technology group, opened a manufacturing plant in Taoyuan, Northern Taiwan yesterday, aiming to provide a faster service on the local market.

The new facility, operated through the Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit, seeks to offer Taiwanese customers more technical backup and customized services, said Tobias Caspari, general manager for photovoltaics in Asia.

Heraeus, a major maker of metallization paste for the photovoltaic industry, accounts for about 40 percent of the world market and has a share of 50 to 60 percent in Taiwan, Caspari said at the opening ceremony in Taoyuan.

He said the company has a maximum monthly output of 20 tons when it is running at full capacity and will evaluate how the market develops to decide whether to increase output.

Heraeus set up an office in Taiwan in 2002, began shipping to the country in 2008 and established a technical service center in 2010, Caspari said.

The Taiwan manufacturing site is the latest addition to its production facilities and research and development centers in Germany, the United States, Singapore and China, he said.